The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-05-05
In Southern Mexico,
rICNIC1NG AT LAKE CHAPALA. MAGNIFI-
CENT COUNTRY-HOUSE. CUPID ON DONKEY
BACK. ''TIIE GODDESS WITH THE SKIRT OF
SNAKES" ISLANDS COVERED WITH MYS-
TERIOUS RUINS AND OTHERS ABANDONED


| GUADALAJARA, April 1881. "A Dtu dt campo.
C''lay in the country'') as Mexican picnic is
called. is !; fayorie amusement here, especial
iy in the vicinity of any body of water. for, as
in The Orient, the inhabitants of this thirsty
land make great account of their few lakes and
streams. We We're iii, tied TO join an cxrur-
sion to Lake Chapala, forty miles distant from
Gia'ialaiars-a "pcnc'' which occupied three
days spent mostly on horseback.
| ChapaIa is the largest lake in Mexico. 4l5
miles square and of unknown depth. In real
| ity il is but an extension Of the Rio Grandc de
Santiago. which mighty river flows through
these mountains Oh its way to the Pacific. Geo
| @raphcrs have sometimes enormously called
| the Laguna del Terminus, on the Gulf coast of
| CalHpeche. the largest lake in this country, but
| the latter is merely salt water bay OF arm of
| the ;iilli. Amoug the inland bodies of fresh
WATER lakes Patzruaro and Cuitzco are next in
! Importance 10 thapaa. On the great central
/ plateau are many lakes. most of which. how
ever. are mere shallow lagoon>. a> iii the valley
| Of Mckee and the plains of farras. They are
| the remains of large basins OF water that once
existed On the high plains of the Cordicra.
aEl hay ing dwindlc away precertibly within
memory Of 1.-The les; nlabitant." the day is
not distant when they will he entirely dried.
The majority Of them have no outlet, and
|
On the whole, Mexico is very poorly sup
| piled with water. Owing to the narrow form
Of continent, which prevents the collection of
| great masses of water. there are few naVigabIr
streams and most of them have sanl-bar> at
| their mouth. with not more than three nr four
| feet Of water at low tide. Several of these
| streams could llc made navi.abic AT small cN-
| pensr. and certainly The beautiful Rio Granhc
ii" >nniago-the longest river in the Republic
deserves /" hc utilized to greater advantage
/ th.ay A
| lon@ 70 as Baron Humboldt was here. he was
| enthusiastic on the possibilities Of this noble
| >trc;tin,-whcli exceeds the Rhonc or the
| flbr i'll length and should be Transporting" the
surplus grain to the western coast from the
| Great states Of la>co and Guiana uato.
| Springs are very scarce in Mexico and many
| rivers flow into deep mountain beds without
| receiving smaller tributaries: while the Intense
| heat. causing rapid evapofation on Il li-l. soil
| covered with porous rocks, renders the hot,
| ,y surface until. without copols irrigation. Ia
| lroltce any Vegetation but the cacii and palni
| faiiiily and species %! short coarse grass.
| Hri 10 return 10 o;fi lit nci c0D'po. In the
nil"d States an eighty mile jaint Ground
country. Would he called IN, ,t'iing but Il ''pic
| ME" hut these people. male and female, are
| great riders, apparently a> much at home in
the ~a'l'lIn a. in the roel,ing-"liar. Especial,
| in these remote districts they arV trained to the
| habit almost from their cradles because there
| imported carriages thcrc none made in
MGxico) costing SO enormously as to be the
| >al" prrrogaivr Of the few of great wealth.
| oGr party of eighteen started from Guadala
lara in tic twilight Of an carly morning. eating
| breakfast and lunch fron well fitted hampers
ii tt'~>f.p by tile way side. and arriving in good
| time for six O'clock dinner :i the hacienda of
senior AIzuyota, ten miles this side of the lake.
| Next nolln" We set uut hr.imc> for Chapala.
| spent Il Ion" day upon it> peaceful waters AMI
>l.l,i,I I.,t
(, the ho>litae h,ritnia in time for late dinner.
>cupr AiztlNrta and his aniic wife were
!e ori-iiators of the excursion. and Though
| they did iet accompany Us 10 the Lake, the
blooming Sclorta> Alzuyrta and an exceed
ng, handsome bic brotiicr'' Both evenings
1T the hacienda we were ~umptuo,l>lv enter
tAinrd by music. dancing and fea>tng. all the
-nn'l people of the y;na-r having been invt-
| ca to meet lis. Tie grange. tree, in the patio
hcn"ath which The feast va, spread. were hung
| with hnp>c lanterns. and the farther grounds
| illuminated with blazing torches of fir. The
music hy which We danced WAS Il band COM
posed entirely of @,litar>-:.ni wonderfully
GOOD music it was too. In III" intervals of
waltz fanango and rdpnt~r". the Sclf-taught
country musicians edited Us with airs from
pultami and Straliicra- remarkably well rem
icred considering their lack of advantages for
acquiring the art. ant! that they have no sheet
music, but have simply caught the airs ..hy
ear from the performances of the military
band 1T G,ladalal;ra.
The casa of the AzuyetuS is unique in its
way. with little furniture dixie all Mexican
country lpti>e>} but what there is being very
handsome, most of it having been brought
from Spain nearly two centuries ago by a H.
| tied ancestor, The dining hall-a noble room.
capable of seating three hundred pcr>ony-oprns
into a Yar,len which i, kent in beautiful order.
with fine trees. clear tanks, sparkin. fuun-
| anS and Il prof,l>ion of roses of extraordinary
h.i,lfy .y,,l il, tbi. lanI nf i,ynrS our l,t